Following the reduction in the Bank of England base rate, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have confirmed that their interest rates will be reduced accordingly.
Late payment interest will reduce to 7% from 7.25%. Repayment interest – paid on tax repayments – will be reduced to 3.5%.
The change will come into effect from:
-17 February 2025 for quarterly instalment payments.
-25 February 2025 for non-quarterly instalments payments.
See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hmrc-late-payment-interest-rates-to-be-revised-after-bank-of-england-lowers-base-rate--2
Following its mention in the King’s Speech, the Small Business Protections Bill has now been put before Parliament.
Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the unemployment rate in the three months to March 2026 has risen to 5% from 4.9%.
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